Making a Real Difference for Allstate Veterans

“Veterans bring a unique skillset to this company, with the training and skills we’ve acquired in service to our country.” –Phyllis, Management Consultant at Allstate

Every day, this passion drives Phyllis, a Veteran of the US Army Reserve, to innovate new ways to lead, grow, and develop the Allstate Veterans Engagement Team & Supporters (AVETS) Employee Resource Group. Her dedication to serving Allstate’s Veterans springs from her own experience, being deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Desert Storm for six months. There, she made sure supplies, food, and weapons were delivered where they were needed most.

Shortly after AVETS was founded in 2012, Phyllis learned of their mission to provide employees, spouses, children, and supporters of veterans with a forum to share common interests, identities, and Veteran’s issues, she was inspired to learn more, join the organization and get involved in any way she could.

As a perfect example of “leading from every seat,” she worked her way up from nonprofit liaison to Vice President. Now in her second year as the President of AVETS, she loves “having the opportunity to network with people throughout the company who support Veterans’ perspectives, helping us collaborate effectively and align with company objectives. I take pride in helping my fellow Allstate Veterans develop.”

“AVETS is almost five years old, and just in the last year, we’ve collaborated with HR and Claims to let our voices be heard about the importance of valuing Veterans working here and extending our hands to welcome more Veterans at Allstate.”

Allstate’s commitment to inclusive diversity means a lot to Phyllis, who tells us, “It’s been very fulfilling to work for a company where they value Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)! I’m passionate about leading AVETS, and it has allowed me to personally grow and utilize different skill sets.”

Phyllis proudly spreads the word about AVETS’ long list of impressive accomplishments. Her favorite highlights include the group’s membership doubling to more than 503 members in 2016, and the joint launch with HR of the PHQ (Military Status identification within MyHR).

AVETS is also dedicated to volunteering and community outreach. Last year alone, AVETS members participated in 862 volunteer projects, logging an impressive 7,237 total volunteer hours!

Congratulations, Phyllis, and best of luck as your team continues to expand AVETS presence in Allstate offices across the country and proudly lead Veterans here at Allstate!

Keeping Up with Change

Learn how Randy helps Allstate stay compliant.

At Allstate, we know compliance isn’t always a “fun” topic, but it helps us uphold our strong ethics. Laws and regulations must be followed in order to avoid unfair treatment or practices and of course to avoid any kind of legal action against a person or organization.

Randy, a Senior Compliance Manager at Allstate, strongly agrees that “compliance adds business value.” Randy oversees the regulatory compliance program, a big role since he works with the entire Allstate enterprise.

Just as fast as the rules change, Allstate must keep up with them and make sure every department is staying current. That’s why it is important for Randy to be knowledgeable in a number of different areas.

“Being a true compliance professional is a complex and interesting job because to do it well, you need to know a lot.” -Randy, Senior Compliance Manager at Allstate

Randy further explains, “You have to really know and understand the business model of the area in which you work to see how it’s impacted by the regulatory environment, and you have to know how to ensure compliance while also allowing for high levels of business growth. You also need to have some understanding of the technology systems that [support] your business area, so you can implement process changes that are required to bring us into compliance in the most efficient way. Finally, you have to understand how your area’s business and systems touch other areas to avoid unwanted impacts and/or involve others as needed.”

Randy likes the variety of work he does as it really keeps him on his toes. “We never know what new law is going to come up or what question or issue might arise from that.” Randy also knows that the work he does is valuable because it provides consistency and oversight to the compliance operation across the entire Allstate enterprise.

From numbers to strategic decisions

Learn how Kevin uses financial data to help Allstate grow.

You may be familiar with the work of personal financial planners that help individuals and families manage their finances, but who manages finances for a company as large as Allstate? That’s the role of Allstate’s finance organization, but they don’t just throw out random numbers to pinpoint successes or areas of opportunity. Instead, they use data to paint a picture of where different parts of the business stands financially. Kevin, a Financial Manager for Allstate’s Protection Finance division, has an important role. He analyzes financial data and operational metrics to provide insights to leaders to help make strategic decisions.

“I really enjoy what I do because it’s interesting work. My department encourages us to do rotations from role to role, so we can leverage the analytical skills and behaviors we learn and gain an understanding of different parts of the business,” -Kevin, Financial Manager at Allstate

Managing profitability and growth is just one way Allstate uses data to benefit the business.

Creating Your Own Path

Learn how Marline created a career path that matched her skills and passions.

It isn’t rare to hear the different paths an Allstate employee took to get to where they are today. Skills can often be transferable to and from different organizations, but Allstate truly understands that despite previous job titles people have held, they may have the right skills to be successful in a variety of roles. “I started out as a field property adjuster on the National Catastrophe Team right out of college in 2004. As an adjuster I had the opportunity to meet with our customers after some devastating losses to help them in the process of restoring their lives. I met with customers after hurricanes destroyed their houses and tornados left them with no homes. They were so grateful to have a compassionate ear to listen and helping hand to hold. That is when I knew Allstate is where I should be,” says Marline, now a Human Resources Talent Acquisition staff manager supporting the Claims organization.

Marline has held a variety of roles at Allstate. Those positions have helped her grow to the leader she is today, including a Talent Share opportunity Marline was a part of. A Talent Share is a temporary assignment where employees bring their own skills and competencies to a new team while developing themselves in the process.

“After two years of adjusting, I had the opportunity to serve in a Talent Share as a Catastrophe Administrative Manager. In this role I oversaw the daily administrative needs of our catastrophe office after Hurricane Katrina and was also responsible for all of the information technology equipment, compliance, and providing our contingent resources with access to our systems. A year later, I returned to the field as an adjuster and was involved with various projects and mentoring opportunities. In 2008, I became the training coordinator when the catastrophe team was growing by 200 people. I was responsible for the onboarding and training of the new inside and outside property adjusters. I created the curriculum and facilitated training classes for over 200 new employees. The following year, I became a Claims Service Leader with a team of 12 adjusters. I served in this role for four years and lead, inspired, and cultivated a high performance team environment to ensure consistent delivery of company initiatives, exceptional service, outstanding quality, and employee satisfaction. I then had the good fortune of going on [another] Talent Share assignment as a Continuous Improvement Change Agent and was a member of the team that pioneered this movement at Allstate. We partnered with external consultants to create a management system that empowers employees to improve the customer experience and business outcomes.” In 2014, Marline transitioned into the recruiting world.

Marline majored in Human Resources Management, and she was thrilled to have the opportunity to combine her studies with her knowledge of the client and its operation. Marline and her team focus on hiring internal and external candidates for the Claims organization. They work closely with the Claims teams to ensure we are hiring the best people for the jobs. Coming from Claims, Marline has a unique perspective that she uses to help her team be successful.

Working in Human Resources is different from being a Claims Adjuster but both require relationship management. Marline understands the importance of relationship management and is there to step in when needed. She understands that whether in working in Claims or Human Resources, customers should always feel like they are well taken care of. She knew Allstate was the right place for her when her personal purpose matched up with that of the company. “I enjoy working for Allstate because I hold the same values as the organization. I am truly committed to service. I love working on the Claims Talent Acquisition team because I have a connection to their purpose. It is incredibly rewarding to know that we are helping the company to thrive by finding the right talent to deliver on the promise that we sell to our customers when they need us most. We have a team of professionals who are genuinely here to serve and drive results. At Allstate, the possibilities are endless. The company has allowed me so many opportunities to grow and continues to invest in my development. I was able to complete my Masters of Business Administration with the help of tuition reimbursement. I find that I have good harmony between work and my personal life and in addition to all of that, I have worked with incredible people every step of the way.”

Using social to drive better business decisions

Learn how Natasha’s team collects & analyzes data from social media.

Allstate offers positions where people play around on Twitter and Facebook all day? Not entirely, but in a way, that is just a small part of Natasha’s every day job as a Social Intelligence Manager. The gathering of data and insights from platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, is an absolute necessity to make sure the content Allstate shares is valuable to our customers.

“I help people understand the benefits that social media can provide them. Social media sites aren’t just fluffy recreational platforms, but rather a place where we can gather great insights that will help Allstate meet customer needs. We gather these insights through a process called social listening.” -Natasha, Social Intelligence Manager

Social listening is how Natasha and her team know what people are saying about Allstate, Allstate’s competitors, campaigns, and products. They are listening to all channels where anyone can possibly have an influence, but that is just step one. The analysis and suggested action items are what drives business decisions.

Natasha’s favorite part of her job is learning about the variety of projects and initiatives from around the company. After going through Allstate’s three year Leadership Development rotational program, it was her proposal to expand Allstate’s social intelligence services thus creating her position of Social Intelligence Manager. Natasha and her team share their findings by putting out monthly social media reports, and they play a big role in developing and revamping social media strategies.

Striving for success, one agency at a time

Learn more about Shanna’s on-the-go career as a Field Sales Associate at Allstate.

Not every job at Allstate is your typical desk job, but not everyone wants to work at a desk. Some of our employees love traveling and life on the go. This is true for Shanna, a Field Sales Associate with Allstate, who is constantly on the road visiting agencies and dealerships, making sure they have the proper tools and education to be successful. Her role requires her to be a master of many department within Allstate, as she is a liaison between the Southwest regional office and the agency owners within that region. She supports agency owners in meeting their annual goals. She often meets with agency owners in multiple locations in one day, which means she is frequently on-the-go.

Shanna started out as an agency process associate in August 2015 and was promoted shortly after in January 2016 to an agency process specialist role. In October 2016 she was selected to be a part of the Field Sales Associate program where she has plans to become a Field Sales Leader in 2017. “The program appealed to me because it’s an opportunity to make a bigger impact on the success of our agencies,” says Shanna. She has had the opportunity to sit in on an agency for three weeks to learn the ins and outs of their different roles all while completing her required licensing for life and health and property and casualty. Shanna is a strong supporter of small businesses, and she enjoys hearing the success stories and how the agencies truly have an impact on others.

“Really, it’s all about building relationships, and that’s what I love so much about it.” – Shanna, Field Sales Associate

Allstate Insurance Company is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment
and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran or any other protected status.